A chemical compound in mouthwash might be capable to restrain covid-19

A recent study has found that Covid-19 infections can be restrained by using mouthwashes daily. The presence of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), contained in few of the mouthwashes, prevents the entry of SARS-CoV-2 or novel coronavirus into the cells and blocking the infection. 

Mouthwashes that we use daily as a part of our routine includes a number of antibiotics and antiviral components that has the powers to act against the microorganisms in the mouth.  

The cetylpyridinium chloride especially has the capacity to reduce the coronavirus from entering our system by destroying the lipid membrane around the virus. But it does not mean that the other chemicals have no effects none so ever.  

They are also effective on the virus except for the blaring fact that the cetylpyridinium chloride is both tasteless and odourless. The study was based on the research done on Japanese mouthwashes. It was later published in the journal of Scientific Reports. 

A fraction of the CPC was contained in the japanese mouthwashes when tested and compared to the previously tested mouthwashes by the researchers at the Hokkaido University, Japan. The team was successfully led by professor Kyoko Hida.

The super power of CPC chemical

The test was conducted on the patient’s saliva and cell cultures that discharges an enzyme called trans-membrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) which is necessary for the virus for entering the cell. 

The results were immediate as within the first ten minutes of using the mouthwash 30-50 micrograms per milliliter of CPC took over and obstructed the SARS-CoV-2 or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus from the cell entry.  

It is also found that the commercially available mouthwashes are far better than others as those without might not provide the same protection compared to the ones that has the CPC’s. Only certain brands contained mouthwashes with CPCs in it. 

All the four variants of Covid-19 are affected equally by the CPC including the original, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. The effect was similar for all of them without having any differences in any one of them.  

With this knowledge in their minds, the team is now looking for methods that can help people who had already contracted the virus.  

According to the researchers from Cardiff University the chemical compound even has the power to kill the virus in saliva with a success rate of 99.8 per cent. They came to this conclusion after a thorough examinations of patients from a total of 27 hospitals while comparing four different types of mouthwash. 

The study was somewhat similar to that of the new study with a single exception. As per this study, you only need to do a 30 second rinse of the mouth to eliminate all the Covid virus.  

It was also noticed by them that out of the 27, seven patients were completely free from the malignant virus right after their first rinse. 

The virus (SARS-CoV-2), which is the main cause for Covid-19, is an airborne disease that spreads mainly through the oral and nasal cavities-the mouth and the nose. Apart from infecting the cells of respiratory tracts and lungs, it also infects the cells in the lining of the mouth and the salivary glands.  

While the mouthwash could be used as a preventive method, it should not however be used as a substitute for medicine that is used for any ongoing treatment as it is not possible for it to reach the respiratory tract or the lungs.  

Any sort of future work based on this study will be conducted so as to fully grasp its mechanism since lower amount of CPC does not disrupt the lipid membranes. 

Future work will also focus on fully understanding the mechanism of effect, as lower concentrations of CPC do not disrupt lipid membranes. 

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